


but i guess it was worth it

by Fluffifullness



Series: Tumblr MakoHaru Festival [4]
Category: Free!
Genre: Cuddling & Snuggling, Established Relationship, Fluff, M/M, One Shot, Prompt Fic, Scary Movies, Tumblr: makoharufestival
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-20
Updated: 2014-01-20
Packaged: 2018-01-09 09:25:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 934
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1144318
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fluffifullness/pseuds/Fluffifullness
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Makoto laughs nervously and fidgets with his hands clasped in front of his chest. Haru sighs again and grabs them suddenly, uses them to guide Makoto even closer, lower so that his head is by Haru’s chest; he can almost feel his heart beating slow and steady.</p>
            </blockquote>





	but i guess it was worth it

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the "cuddle" challenge of the [makoharu festival on tumblr](http://makoharufestival.tumblr.com/). The post on tumblr is [here](http://makoharufestival.tumblr.com/post/73935012326/challenge-cuddles-user-fluffifullness?utm_medium=email&utm_source=html&utm_campaign=submission_published&utm_term=respond_link).

Haru is the first to rise to his feet when the ending credits finish scrolling and the screen of the television goes dark. Makoto has to swallow the urge to stop him, catch his fingers on the hem of the T-shirt Haru’s borrowed from him and refuse to let go. He’s still shivering a little, nervously eyeing the dark corners of the room and the formless night outside. He keeps thinking that maybe he’ll see something emerge from it, fangs and claws bared, howling.

Haru turns around with the DVD’s case in his hand. He’s switched the TV off already, so now most of the room is dark; Makoto can barely make out his boyfriend’s expression anymore. So he can’t rely on that for comfort – he shudders again and draws his knees up closer to his chest.

“It wasn’t that scary,” Haru says disbelievingly.

“No, it was,” Makoto stammers back. “A-anyway, can we go to bed now, Haru? It’s really late already…”

Haru nods, and Makoto somehow manages to stand on his shaky legs without any help. They gather up the pillows they’d been lying on together, an empty bowl of popcorn and their shared blanket, and then they get ready for bed. Makoto tries not to be obvious about it, but he’s sure that Haru notices, anyway – the way he repeatedly glances around, the way he clings to Haru and even unconsciously reaches up to touch his shoulder every now and then.

He’s happy when Haru indicates with a little nod that he can climb under the covers first – so he’s there with them pulled up to his chin when Haru goes to click the light off.

And then it’s all dark again. Makoto swallows thickly and waits for Haru to join him several feet away; he breathes a sigh of relief when he hears the low rustling of the other boy slipping into his own futon. He can’t touch or see him, but the noise alone is almost enough to keep him calm and so he focuses on it, on the sound of Haru breathing and searching for a comfortable position.

(He’s too stiff with fear to move much, so he stays stone still and hopes that he’ll somehow fall asleep without having to relax first.)

“Makoto.”

“H-huh? Haru-chan?”

“…”

“Do you need something? Water? Um –”

“It really wasn’t that scary,” Haru mutters.

Makoto works up the nerve to at least turn his head so that he’s looking in Haru’s general direction. “Sorry, Haru. It might not’ve been, but – I guess I’m still no good with those kinds of movies, after all.”

Haru doesn’t respond right away. Makoto even wonders if he’s given up already, but then Haru sighs and says, “Can you sleep?”

“Sure,” Makoto answers quickly – even laughs – “I’ll be fine.”

Haru makes a low noise of disbelief. “Come here.”

Makoto blinks and finds that his eyes have finally adjusted enough to let him see the blurred outline of Haru – maybe facing Makoto, maybe not, but the way Haru’s voice sounds so loud then makes him think that it’s the former.

“I’m not sure I can,” he responds sheepishly. Makoto can feel his face heating up a little, but it’s dark enough that Haru definitely won’t notice the embarrassed blush. He can’t think of anything else to say, so he simply stops talking and waits for Haru.

“...Alright, then move over,” and there’s the dry rasp of Haru standing and dragging some of his bedding over to where Makoto is lying, too bewildered to do anything but force his rigid body a little to the right. Haru sets his pillow down first and then quickly slips in alongside Makoto. He layers his blankets on top of the ones Makoto already had; the addition chases away the lingering winter cold.

“You’re shaking,” Haru notices, sounding surprised. There’s almost no space between them now – just skin and heat and fabric.

“I am?” Makoto laughs nervously and fidgets with his hands clasped in front of his chest. Haru sighs again and grabs them suddenly, uses them to guide Makoto even closer, lower so that his head is by Haru’s chest; he can almost feel his heart beating slow and steady.

“It was just a movie,” Haru soothes. “It’s not real.” Makoto feels his voice rumble in his chest; it draws more heat into his cheeks, the tops of his ears, the back of his neck.

“This is embarrassing,” he complains quietly. Still fidgeting, but not about to put any distance between the two of them.

He imagines Haru’s smile; it’s there in his voice. “No big deal. We did this a lot when we were kids.”

“That was a long time ago!” He lets out a muffled yelp when Haru’s arms close around him, all under the covers and gentle. He doesn’t shake them off.

“I can stop if you want,” Haru says. “The movie was my idea, though.”

So he’s taking responsibility? Makoto smiles a little himself and shakes his head. “I agreed to it.”

Haru doesn’t say anything back. He’s so much shorter than Makoto, it’s almost funny. His legs end where Makoto’s keep going and going, his head is never above Makoto’s like this and it doesn’t make sense anymore to have Makoto in the position of the smaller person – he’s sure it should be switched, definitely, he should get to be the one comforting Haru or holding him close like he’s more worth protecting than anything else in the whole world.

But he likes the attention, too. Even if it is embarrassing.

“Haru – thank you,” he breathes. “This is fine.”


End file.
